Last journey
by Fluffymausi-chan
Summary: After six years, Morwen starts her journey to Minas Tirith to marry Berethor, but she is not alone on her travel. Morwen/...
1. Ride into the future

_Hello there. It has been a very long time since I last played The lord of the Rings - The Third Age, but I always wanted to write something, because I did not really like the ending of the game. I hope you enjoy my first chapter and that you will stay tuned for more to come. :)_

_If there are any mistakes, please let me know._

_**Disclaimer:** I do not own The lord of the rings (it's too awesome^^) or The Third Age._

* * *

**Ride into the future**

She was nervous. It was unusual to see such a strong woman like her, wavering. Even in all the numerous battles she had fought, there had never been such a moment like this. She felt as if she was about to do a very serious mistake. But fearless as she was, she had taken the challenge head on before realizing what it had really meant. Freedom would become unreachable and she would be like all the other women in her age. A housewoman. But it was too late to change anything about that agreement. The whole thing would take place in a few weeks. What she was talking about? Her marriage with Berethor.

Her husband-to-be had told her that he would sent someone to Edoras to accompany her, even thought she had told him it was stupid and she knew very well how to fight. But Berethor was right about the danger that would await her on her journey to Minas Tirith. Her new home.

She glanced upon the old huts of Edoras. After the final battle and the destruction of the ring, she had helped rebuilding the huts and began living with the people of Edoras. It had been a good choice, she felt happy living with the horse-men as they were called by the other people of Middle Earth. But soon she would have to put her axes away to begin a life in a household. Her thoughts drifted to the strong gondorian soldier. Berethor had been living in Minas Tirith after the war and had plenty of work to do. He had been relieved to see that many of his people had missed him and thought him dead.

Her hand that held the letter became a fist and she closed her eyes to remind herself of his words in the letter.

_My dear Morwen, in a few days, there will be an old friend to accompany you to Minas Tirith. I trust him and I think you will soon agree with me. Although peace has returned to Middle Earth, I think you know as well as everyone that the streets are still dangerous to cross alone and I don't want anything to happen to you. Take care and I hope we will see each other very soon. _

_Berethor_

_Captain of the Citadel Guard of Gondor  
_

Morwen sighed deeply. She hated nothing more than people who worried about her. It was not necessary. She was not weak and had slain so many orcs, trolls and other beasts during her last big journey, there was nothing to scare her anymore!

The only thing she needed to have for such a journey was a good horse. She had finished packing her things after a couple of minutes, because she had only a few things to take along. Shouldering a leather bag, she glanced a last time at her home, before closing the door behind her. Nodding to herself, she went to the local stables.

It was not as if she despised Berethor or the idea of marrying him, but now that the war had been over for six years, she had finally been able to enjoy life in those peaceful years. It felt as if she was giving herself up for a life that she didn't want to live. Her whole being struggled against the idea of marrying the gondorian soldier. But she had agreed to this foolish idea six years ago. Why? Perhaps because she had been on the blink of death if Aragorn had not saved her? She wasn't entirely sure and right now she even wished for Idrial to take her place. Morwen did not know if the elvish woman had left Middle Earth like the rest of her people, neither did she know where the rest of her old group were right now. A deep sigh left her lips and she tried to shake the solemn thoughts off.

On her short way to her destination, she met a few women in colourful attire with their children. A small smile was on her lips when she greeted them. It was refreshing seeing children with smiles on their face instead of horror and sorrow like it had been the case a few years ago. Like in Helms Deep.

Shaking her head she opened the door to the stables and was greeted by a warm air and the comforting horse smell she liked so much since she had lived in Rohan. Glancing in a few boxes, she stopped in the middle of the small corridor to see the horse she had been looking for. Even though the horse looked rather similar to all the other horses she had seen in Rohan, it was a strong mare with red brown fur and a white line on her front.

"Hello there girl. Would you like to accompany me to my new home?"

The horse snorted and Morwen had to suppress a laugh. If someone would have asked her the same question she might have snorted too. Caressing the horse's nose she looked around for a little snack or perhaps a sign with the name of the horse, but couldn't find anything of the sort.

"You know what? How about I will give you a name?"

The horse shook her dark brown mane and looked at Morwens hair as if to analyse if it was eatable or not. She tugged her pigtails back with a huge smile on her lips.

"How does Enyà sound to you?", she murmured thoughtfully.

"I think it suits her."

Morwen didn't hear someone approaching her and cursed herself under her breath. She had been too occupied with the horse. But she could not be mad at the owner of the voice. It was Eomer, who came to stand at her side. He opened the bay to take a look at the hooves and the teeth before petting Enyàs neck softly.

"It's a fine horse. Do you need her for a long ride?"

Morwen nodded curtly while caressing Enyàs front.

"I will need her to get to Minas Tirith."

Eomer seemed to understand what she meant with those words. Well he knew about a lot of the things, he was now the King of Rohan after all.

"It's a shame to lose a good companion but I think Gondor needs a few strong women."

He tried to cheer her up and she welcomed his attempts.

"Thanks Sire."

Eomer looked around for something before ordering Gamling, who had been standing next to his horse, to get the needed horse-tack.

"Have you everything for the long travel? Like food and medical herbs?"

Morwen felt her heart grow warm with every word coming from Eomer. This was what she liked the most about the Rohirims. They were like a huge family, caring for each other despite the status.

She nodded before accepting the saddle and the tack, which Gamling had given her with a respectful nod. She had never been a soldier of Rohan or a woman of high rank, but she had won a lot of respect for fighting in the war. When she was in Minas Tirith, she would not be able to have this respect again.

After she finished saddling her horse, she mounted without a second thought. Eomer and Gamling accompanied her to the stable doors. It had begun to rain lightly. Cursing under her breath, she looked up when someone held a simple leather coat in front of her. It was none other than Eowyn.

"Thank you, Lady Eowyn."

Putting the cloak on, she let her eyes wander over the king, his sister and the captain. The shildmaiden of Rohan nodded her head with a sad smile.

"Have a safe journey."

Morwen gave them one last smile before riding in the rain. It felt awful to leave her home, where she had been living so happily after the chaos the war had brought her with losing her parents and her home in just one day. Shaking her head she spurred Enyà to run a little bit faster down the road and through the gates of Edoras. Away from home.

Her face held a serious expression and the rain could not wash it away. The cold raindrops felt good on her burning cheeks. She did not want to cry. Tears should only be shed by weak people and she was not weak. Morwen gritted her teeth while adjusting her hood with her free hand.

Although Berethor had sent someone to accompany her, she wouldn't wait for someone to babysit her during her last journey of her freedom.

She had reached a hill to look back at Edoras when she noticed a horse that stood there already. With a man. He seemed awfully familiar.

"I knew you would not wait for my arrival, so I waited here. Welcome Lady Morwen."

She was truly surprised when she recognized him with his spear and his small shield in the now pouring rain.

"Eaoden?"

* * *

_So how did you like it so far? The chapter was not very long but I hope you enjoyed it. :)_

_Your FMC_

_Happy Easter_


	2. Is pride stupid?

_Hello there and welcome to my second chapter of my new fanfiction. This chapter was a little hard to write but I hope you enjoy it and that the characters are not to OOC. It's hard to imagine how they act because they (and especially Eoadoen) has only a few words to say in the game which is a shame. _

_Anyway have fun reading :)_

_Your FMC_

* * *

**Is pride stupid?**

"Eaoden?"

She was astonished to see the Rohirim in front of her. She couldn't make out his eyes under his helmet mainly because the rainclouds had brought a dark shadow over the plain land of Rohan. In one hand he held his spear, a truly dangerous weapon, while the right hand held the tracks of his horse. He did not seem surprised in the least and had a small smile on his lips. It unnerved her!

"Don't tell me Berethor has sent YOU to accompany me to Minas Tirith?"

Morwen spoke the words as cold as the rain that poured down on them. She urged her horse to go pass him, but he followed and after a few seconds rode beside her. He wore a raincoat and looked dead tired. Where had he come from? She had not seen him during the last six years, which was rather strange for she had been in Edoras for so long. Had he quit his job in the Royal Guard?

"Why do I have the feeling You are not very content of the whole idea?"

The sarcasm was clearly evident in his voice and it made her angry. Why was he the one to accompany her? I mean, it would have been a whole different story if it was Elegost or Hadhod but no... It had to be the man, whom she knew the least of all.

The rain was getting heavier and even though it was only late afternoon, it looked as if it was already past midnight.

"I don't need a bodyguard. Get back to Edoras, you look horrible."

"Unfortunately, I am indebted to Berethor and I am not going to disrespect his wish. By the way, did I hear concern in Your words?"

She could hear him smirk. Gripping her reins tightly in her fists she tried to resist the urge to ride away from him and his teasing. She had wanted to brood a bit after leaving Edoras and then to enjoy her last journey. How should she be able to do that with a horseman who took pleasure in unnerving her? Also she did not quite get why he was addressing her so formally. They might not have been close friends because surely they had not much time during their journey to bond or get to know each other better, but she thought that he was a good companion, loyal, trustworthy and strong. Why was he treating her like a lady? She was still only a shield maiden of Rohan and not married yet. There was no need in calling HER a lady.

"What makes you think I am concerned about you, Rohirim?", she growled, angry because he kept following her.

He chuckled hoarsely while guiding his horse next to Enyà. The rain was now a real downpour and Eaoden looked around before directing his mount to the left.

"I see You have not changed at all during the years we did not see each other. How about we keep the talk for later? I know a place where we can stay during this heavy rain."

Even though Morwen wanted nothing more than to ride away, she felt that her horse had problems to ride down the stony hills in the rain and she wanted to avoid hurting her new mount because of her stupidity and childish behaviour. Growling frustrated because she knew he was right, she followed the Rohirim without answering him.

They did not speak for a long while. Morwen kept glaring daggers at the man who rode in front of her, which did not go unnoticed by Eaoden. But he was too tired to keep arguing with her. Instead he tried to concentrate on finding the place where they could wait until the rain passed. He knew that there was a rock shelter not too far away that could provide them protection from the heavy downpour. The only question was where was it? He would have oriented himself with the help of the position of the sun or the stars but neither was visible because of the huge rain clouds. Also he had the small feeling that something was not right. He could not put his finger on the reason but something was off.

Sighing he wanted to turn to the still fuming woman behind him, when his horse begun to snort nervously. He gripped his spear tightly and stopped his horse while listening for any signs of danger. Morwen could barely make him out in the dark and so she rode beside him with furrowed brows.

"Why did you stop? Don't tell me you are afraid of darkn….?"

Her smile died on her lips. He raised his hand in a swift movement and right in time. His spear pierced right through an orc, which had tried to kill her by jumping up to her. It died with a horrible loud scream. The horses begun to prance on the muddy ground and the riders had problems to stay in the saddles. The heavy rain hid the coming enemies and made it hard to see something let alone fight in this weather. Morwen took the reins between one hand and the other she took one axe ready to slay anything that came near them.

"That was a scout.", Eaoden growled while getting rid of the dead orc on his spear.

"A scout?"

Morwen could not believe it. Sure she had heard of some orcs that kept attacking travellers in the mountains and the forests, except the Fangorn Forest, but she would never have guessed that those creatures dared to come back on the plains of Rohan.

"What are those beasts doing here? I thought they had returned to their filthy holes."

Eaoden stayed silent for a few seconds before answering her question in a low voice.

"I don't know, maybe because of the lack of food. I recommend we get away from here."

Morwen shot him an angry glare.

"You don't expect me to flee?"

He did not have the strength to fight with the stubborn woman, so he took her reins from her and set off in a fast pace. Morwen had trouble to stay in her saddle and had to grip on the mare's mane for dear life. The rain was ice cold and every raindrop felt like a cold needle that pierced her face. She gritted her teeth and would have cursed the Rohirim if she had not heard the howl of a few wargs and their riders. A shower rolled down her spine when she thought back on her dead parents, both killed by wargs and orc-scum. Eaoden spurred his horse a little more and Morwen did the same. On the plain-lands they were easy target for wargs. It did not sit well with her to flee but to fight such a battle would be stupid and a real deathwish. The rain felt even heavier and while they rode as fast as they could, Morwen sometimes had the feeling of a foul warm breath of a warg in her neck. Closing her eyes tightly she gritted her teeth and let Eaoden take her away in the darkness.

* * *

They had been lucky. After a long ride they had reached the outpost of Snowborn. The rain had still not stopped and the ground was difficult because of the muddy soil but the wargs would not track them down because their scent was already washed away in the downpour. The horses looked as exhausted as their riders and welcomed the rest. Eaoden dismounted with a deep sigh and Morwen did the same. She felt weak in the knees after riding for such a long time and in such a fast pace. Her legs and her back hurt and she felt uncomfortable in her clothes that were dripping wet. Her armour had given little protection against the cold or the weather and she felt grateful for Eowyns simple raincoat. Without it she would have surely frozen to death on her horse. Even though she wanted nothing more than dry clothes and a good rest, she knew that their horses needed to be treated first.

Both riders stayed silent while bringing their horses in the stables attached to the small hut. They were tired and even though Morwen wanted to talk about the attack back on the plains, she did not know if it was a good idea to bring it up, after her stupid attempt to protect her pride. Sighing she took a bundle of straw to dry her horse. Enyá looked drained from the ride but Morwen could not find any injuries on her legs.

"Good girl.", she whispered while caressing the horse nose after finishing the drying and her examination.

Morwen glanced towards her old friend who looked dead tired but took his time to examine the horse legs too. Although his mount seemed as tired as the rest of them, it begun to nibble on the fake hair on his helmet, which made him smile. He turned towards her while petting the horse neck.

"Do You have an apple or something with You? I think they earned a reward after that race."

Either she hadn't noticed or hadn't cared to notice his formal salutation, Morwen grinned before rummaging in her bag. After a short search and a few curses she handed him a small apple. He nodded his thanks.

"They did really well.", she smiled while feeding Enyá her reward.

"Without them we would surely eating dinner with the ghost army tonight."

The joke did nothing to lighten her mood, as it reminded her on her stupid behaviour a few hours ago. She avoided to face him and occupied herself with wringing her hair out. The feeling of guilt rose in her chest and it made her even more uncomfortable than her wet clothing. How come she had acted as a stubborn child and jeopardized them both? It might have been because she had wanted to spend her last journey on her own. But was that really a reason to endanger herself and an old friend?

"Eaoden, listen. I…"

She turned to the soldier but stopped in her speech. He had raised his hand again and she knew that he had a reason for doing so even though it angered her as she had wanted to apologize to him.

He took his helmet off and wiped his face with his hand. It was the first time after six years that she saw his face and he had not changed that much. His beard was perhaps a little longer and he had cut his hair shorter. His eyes looked dark with exhaustion and lack of sleep.

"Let's forget about that incident. I think it would be wise to settle for the night and seeing as the orcs had returned with their filthy beasts, we have to leave early in the morning. Are you fine with that?"

Morwen would have disagreed with him for she wanted to discuss that incident but seeing as he was visibly tired she gave in.

"Alright."

* * *

After making a fire in the small fireplace in the middle of the hut and taking off their armour, his being far heavier than hers, they settled near the flames to dry their clothes. The small room, firstly filled with the strong smell of wet clothing, turned into the sweet scent of dinner as Morwen made a small portion of stew with the few things Eaoden had found in the secret hideout only known by the Rohirim, who used that place during their travels. It was hid so that orcs and bandits would not find it.

They had not spoken the whole time until Morwen decided that she did not like the silence at all. They had not seen each other for six years for crying out loud! Did he not want to know how she had been during those years? Wasn't he a tiny bit curious about her life like she was about his? Her eyes mustered the man that sat across from her with a pipe between his lips. Little clouds came from his pipe and she recognized the scent as old toby. His gaze was fixated thoughtfully on the flames and he seemed to have forgotten about her. Well, she would have been okay if he was a stranger and therefore did not want to speak with her, but they had travelled together on a godforsaken journey during the war! They knew each other for crying out loud! But she would not be the one to start a conversation again.

Cursing under her breath she took the small blanket she had found in the hut to cover herself as she laid down with her back facing the fire and her silent companion. Before she had closed her eyes, she heard his deep voice.

"Have a good rest Morwen."

It was the first time he had addressed her without the stupid formalities. She did not face him and simply muttered:

"You too."

* * *

_Well I don't know if Morwen woudl behave like this but I can imagine that she would not like to back down in a fight. I hope you stay tuned for the next chapter and if you have any suggestions, let me hear them ;)_

_Your FMC_


	3. Of big talks and cooking skills

_Omg two chapters in one day. :) That's a first for me, mainly because I have to look up a lot of words, but it's fun. It's easier to learn a language like this._

_I hope you are interested on how their journey will continue. _

_Enjoy :)_

* * *

**Of big talks and cooking skills**

The next day came quietly with a cloud of fog that hid not only the sun but everything that was further away than a five arm length. Morwen woke up pretty early and stretched herself with a suppressed yawn. Her bones ached because of her uncomfortable sleep and the race the day before. Looking around in the small hut, she saw that her companion had fallen asleep in a sitting position as if he had tried to stay awake to keep watch. Sleeping like this was surely a lot more hurtful and he would be in a lot of pain after waking up. During her last big journey with her companions, she had kept watch very often and knew the pain that awaited you in the morning.

_That's my chance! Really, why do I bother? I can go now and continue my journey alone! _

Morwen stood up but could not bring herself to leave the small hut. Her brown eyes mustered the man in the middle of the room, that had saved her the day before and who had stayed awake so she could sleep in peace. She sighed. He had looked horrible yesterday and even in that state he had managed to get them here safely. She owed him.

Gritting her teeth for being too nice for her own good, she went to the stables to get a huge bundle of straw. After arranging it silently on the ground in the hut, she laid the sleeping soldier on his back carefully not to wake him in his deep slumber. He looked peaceful and at ease. Putting her blanket on his sleeping form she blew the fire. After a few minutes, the hut was a lot warmer than before and she went to look after the horses but not without giving him a last look before she closed the door silently.

While giving the horses water and a bit of hay she had made out on a small attic in the small stable, she made them ready for their next ride. Caressing both horses she inhaled their scent deeply. This was where she felt at home the most. The warm horse smell was like a part of home to her. She felt comfortable in the stables and next to the horses. Maybe it was this that made her a part of the people of Rohan, even though she originally came from Gondor, this was where she felt at ease.

Petting both mounts a last time she returned to the small hut to look for something to cook. Making sure not to make a lot of noise she searched in the hideout for anything that would do something against the growing hunger. They had to eat something before continuing their journey. It might not take very long time to get to Minas Tirith, if the streets were clear of orc-scum and other dangers, but still it would take at least 4 days to reach the big city.

She was quite astonished on how many things the Rohirims had stocked in those posts such as the one they were currently staying at. Although she was not very good at cooking, she had somehow managed to survive with her poor cooking skills mainly because she was not a picky eater. She would have to change when she was married, especially since Berethor was a man of high class and had to have a presentable wife. Not a warrior. Her eyes drifted to her axes which laid not too far away if she needed them quickly. A sigh escaped her lips and she continued her cooking. For she had no other receipt, she decided it would be stew again, since that was the only thing she could cook without fearing to kill someone with her meal.

Too concentrated on her task, she did not notice her companion waking up.

Eaoden was surprised when he woke up. Mainly because he laid on a poor bivouac instead of the hard floor and the fact that he felt rested. Furthermore he noticed that it was comfortable warm and it smelled real good. Looking to his left he saw Morwen glaring daggers at her stew over the fire and stirring the content with a little too much force, so that she spilled some of the content on the fire. He had to suppress a grin and instead continued to watch her. Now that he thought about it, he had never seen her cooking on their last journey. The meal last night might have tasted bad but he had been too tired and hungry to notice, but right now he could smell that she was not so bad at preparing a meal even though she looked not very happy.

His eyes mustered her form. She had kept her red brown hair in two loose tails and wore a simple leather vest that was rather provocative but he was already used to her style of clothing. She was no ugly woman, by the Valar no, and even though he knew that she would be a married woman very soon, she would be a real wild beauty to him, something that could not be tamed. By no one.

Her eyes had become harder and she must have laughed a lot during the last years, which was evident because of her laugher lines around her lips. But what confused him the most was the fact, that she looked sad. During the war she had all reasons to look sad and devastated after losing her family and her home, but right now she should feel happy for she was about to wed her love, Berethor. Why didn't she smile and why had she wanted to go on that travel all alone? They might not have been close friends but he had been looking forward to meet her again. He might have done a mistake by addressing her so formally, but she would soon be the wife of Berethor and therefore a lady even though she did not look like one right now. Perhaps he should stop acting so stuck-up and get back to how they had been six years ago. Companions. Maybe even friends.

Suddenly there was a strange smell and he had trouble suppressing a laugh.

Morwen had been too occupied with her fight with the stew to notice Eaoden and his grin next to her. She looked thoughtfully in the small pot and continued to stir in it. Only 4 days until she reached Minas Tirith…

"I think it's done!"

A voice next to her pointed out and instantly she was taken out of her solemn thoughts to watch her companion taking the pot off the fire. Morwen cursed under her breath because of her carelessness but was somehow grateful that he occupied himself with the examination of the meal instead of her. She did not want to answer questions such as: What have you been thinking about? Is everything okay?

Well, he was not Elegost or Berethor. They would have asked those things for sure but not Eaoden. Even after recalling every single talk she had had with the other companions, she was sure that she had never really talked with him. Why? She did not know. Perhaps there had not been a right moment or a topic that they could discuss over and also there had been the lack of time. They had been in a war after all.

"I think it's still eatable."

He had to hide his big grin but she had seen it and glared at him.

"How about you cook the next time?"

Eaoden raised both hands as to show he was giving up.

"Now, now. I love your cooking and especially after it's a little burnt on the edge. It makes it special."

"You…"

Morwen snarled angrily but stopped when she noticed that he had ceased to address her so formally. She would have liked to ask why the change of mind but was silenced when he reached her a small portion of her burnt stew.

"Have a nice meal."

She ignored him and gulped her meal down as fast as possible. It did not look very ladylike but she was hungry and she wanted to distract herself from the grinning Rohirim in front of her. He was infuriating! Why hadn't she left? She would have been spared from his sarcasm and his teasing.

She left him with those words and a big grin on his face. This would surely become very interesting.

* * *

They rode in silence and although Eaoden wanted to break that unnerving quietness, he did not know how he should do that. Perhaps this was the reason they had not talked a lot in the past. They did not have much in common, except for…. Maybe…

"How's Edoras doing?"

Morwen looked up in surprise. Did he want to make conversation or was he simply waiting for his next chance to embarrass or tease her? But she was glad that he had finally broken the deafening silence.

"It's peaceful. Most of the houses are rebuilt and King Eomer is doing a great job in making sure the people of Rohan have everything they need. He is a lot like his uncle."

She smiled while thinking back on how Eomer had taken his place as king of Rohan and how much his people loved him. Glancing to the Rohirim she raised an eyebrow.

"But why do you ask me? Weren't you part of the Royal Guard? How come I haven't seen you once during the past six years?"

He stayed silent but Morwen knew that he had wanted to tell her something; else he would not have asked this particular question. So she waited for him to continue and for the time being distracted herself with mustering the landscape that changed slowly from the rocky plains she knew so well to small forests. The heavy rain from the day before had been good for the trees and plants. Everything shone in a fresh green and full of life, something which had been unthinkable a few years ago.

"I had business in Minas Tirith and Osgiliath during the last years and could not return to Edoras until now."

He looked serious and kept his glance in front of him.

"What business?"

He must have had a good reason for staying in Gondor. She could only imagine how he must have felt during those years far away from home, as she was facing the same dilemma right now, except it was because of a different matter. Or was it not?

"It was because of …"

**SURR.**

An arrow flew past them and his horse pranced with a scared neigh. Eaoden lost his hold and flew out of the saddle and unto the muddy ground with a pained scream. The fall had knocked his breath out of his lungs for a second but he had to get up if he did not want to be an easy target for the next arrow.

Enyá was getting nervous too and Morwen had trouble to keep her down and therefore had no time to look around for the archer.

"Eaoden! Are you alright?"

The man had gotten up rather fast to calm down his mount and to search for the one who attacked them. With success.

"A orc, there!"

He pointed with his spear towards a tree and Morwen saw the filthy creature which was getting ready to shoot the next arrow up on a big branch. Spurring her horse, she took some small throwing knives and threw them as fast as she could. Two out of five hit the orc and killed him instantly. It fell down with a thud.

Stopping her horse, she caressed his neck with a few words before looking back to her companion, who had remounted and caught up to her. He had a smile on his lips and although she could not make his eyes out under his helmet, she could see that he was impressed.

"You have got a good throwing arm. Remember me to never anger you while you got these with you."

She only gave him a smile. Her first.

"I cannot make such promises."

* * *

_So... we still do not know why Eaoden has been in Gondor for the past years. What's his reason and will Morwen learn how to cook?^^_

_I hope you enjoy my story and stay tuned for more to come :)_

_Your FMC_


	4. Of compliments and secret reasons

_Hello guys :)_

_Well although I don't know if there is anyone reading my story I keep going until it's done._

_I hope you enjoy this chapter._

_Have fun._

_Your FMC_

* * *

**Of compliments and secret reasons**

The sun stood high over the mountains as they decided to rest for a while. There had been no more orcs or other enemies on their way, even though Morwen had the small feeling that it would not stay so peacefully.

But right now she was thinking about other things than possible dangers. What had Eaoden been talking about? She had not asked for his reasons for his stay in Gondor again after the little incident also known as an orc, although it kept bothering her the whole time. He had looked really serious; something not uncommon for the Rohirim, but this time it had seemed different. Should she ask him again?

Eaoden sat down on the still moist ground not too far away from the horses. Out of habit he had taken his pipe out while mustering Morwen. She was still debating if she should ask him again or just let it be. It was not helpful that she was overly curious out of nature. Sighing she took her axes and sat across from him to sharpen her blades. It calmed her down and right now she needed to take her mind off this whole secret matter.

The silence was deafening and even though there were birds singing and the soft blowing of the wind, it felt as if a heavy blanket was laying on them and it was only interrupted by the sounds of her grindstone against her blade. Eoaden puffed a few smoke rings without taking his eyes of the working woman across from him. She could feel his gaze on her but decided not to give it too much thought and instead focus her attention on her work.

"You are a really good fighter."

Morwen looked up with furrowed brow. Why the compliment? He took a deep breath from his long pipe, which looked a lot like the one Aragorn owned.

"Where did that come from?"

She averted her gaze to continue her sharpening but could do nothing about the growing warmth of pride in her chest. Her companion gave a little smile while breathing out the bitter scent through his nose.

"Beside Lady Eowyn and Lady Arwen you are the only woman I know that knows how to fight."

"You forgot about Idrial."

Eoaden opened his mouth but closed it as if he had decided not to say the words that laid on the tip of his tongue. Morwen mustered him thoughtfully. She wanted to keep the conversation going and talking about their old group seemed like a good topic. Or was she wrong?

"Have you heard anything from our old friends? Beside Berethor I mean."

The Rohirim stayed silent for a few seconds before answering her.

"I heard that Hadhod and Elegost are still going through the Fangorn Forest to clean it from the orc-scum that survived the last battle. They seem to be on good terms with the Ents and especially Treebeard, even though Hadhod sometimes gets on their nerves with his sarcasm."

Morwen had a smile on her lips. This really sounded like her friends.

"How come you know all this? Did you guys keep in touch or did you hear the Ents screaming in frustration because of our beloved dwarf?"

The Rohirim laughed quietly before taking a deep breath from his pipe.

"You know he would split your skull if he would hear this?"

She shrugged and blew on her blades; all the while keeping the big smile on her lips.

"I think he would rather laugh than trying to kill me but would you dare to tell him?"

There was a feisty spark in her eyes and he shook his head with a snort.

"I don't have a death wish."

She took her other axe to give it the same treatment. There had been few occasions to use her axes after the end of the war but she had kept her weapons in a good state and right now she was glad she did. Surely there would be more moments where she needed her axes. She did not look up from her work when she asked him her next question.

"What about our elvish princess?"

Morwen could not hide her sarcasm even though it sounded stupid and childish but both women had had a lot of difficulties mainly because Morwen had won the battle of Berethor's heart and Idrial had not wanted to accept that fact. Only after her short death on the Pelennor fields, Morwen had seen the elvish woman cry for her.

They had not spoken anything after their last fight and now that she was thinking about it, they had even not said goodbye. Not a single word. Nothing.

Eaoden took another breath of his pipe. He would not discuss the women rivalries. He would lose that fight either way, so he decided to answer her question to avoid the mine field of the women friendship. Could he even call it something like that?

"She did not leave Middle Earth and stayed for a while in Lothlorien, but I don't know if she is still living there."

He shifted uneasily and took another breath from his old Toby while averting his gaze from Morwen. She on the other hand had grown suspicious because of his strange behaviour. It was unusual to see him nervous. Even before a big battle or a fight, he had never seemed to be tense but always calm and collected. What was wrong? Perhaps it had something to do with Idrial?

"Really?"

Rising an eyebrow she focused her attention on the man in front of her. Her axes could wait for a while. This was something she wanted to know. Eaoden cursed incomprehensible words in his beard. The woman was sharp!

"Had she something to do with your stay in Gondor?"

Morwen did not know why she had asked that particular question but judging by his sudden stillness it seemed she had hit the bull's eye. So Idrial had been in Gondor? Together with Eaoden? And what about Berethor? Had they somehow host a reunion without her knowing? Anger was boiling where there had been the warm feeling of pride a few seconds ago. Her companion saw the change in her eyes and tried to search for words that would calm her down but how should he, the man who talks so little, find the right words? Surely she was misunderstanding the whole thing.

"Listen Morwen…"

But she did not let him finish his sentence and got up in a swift move.

"We should ride if we want to reach the stream by nightfall."

Without waiting for his answer, she went to her horse. Eaoden could only shake his head with a sigh. He could somehow understand her anger. She surely felt left out and maybe it had also not been very tactical to tell her indirectly about Idrial's stay in Gondor. Was she jealous? If she was reacting like this over this small thing, than what would she do when she knew the whole story?

A sigh escaped his lips as he followed his friend. What a great turn of events.

* * *

_So how did you like it so far? What is Eaoden hiding from Morwen and what does Idrial has to do with the whole thing?_

_Stay tuned for more to come :)_

_Your FMC_


	5. Of arrows and howling beasts

_Hello there :)_

_I have to admit that this chapter was very difficult to write especially since I am not so good at describing battles but I hope you enjoy it. _

_Your FMC_

* * *

**Of arrows and howling beasts**

She did not know how it had happened but somehow they were being chased again. A few seconds ago she had been brooding because of her discussion with Eaoden and suddenly there was a horde after them. What she was talking about? An angry howl sounded not too far behind her and she spurred Enyá for dear life. Eoaden was riding in front of her and she had to pay attention at the low hanging branches that sprang back. The orcs had followed them and with their wargs, it must have been rather easy to track them down.

An arrow flew past them and looking over her shoulder she saw the archer getting ready to shoot another arrow while riding his growling creature. There were five wargs following them with 3 out of the 5 riders holding a bow. The wargs had foam on their chaps and looked beyond hungry. They would not let their meal get away.

Even though they were riding through a small forest, their enemies had no trouble following them and slowly caught up to them. Morwen tried to see which way her companion wanted to take and if there would be any branches coming that could take her out of her saddle. After watching Eaoden taking quick turns and other quick manoeuvres she decided she could not take the risk. If she wanted her plan to work, she needed his help. Riding as fast as possible she caught up to him.

"Take my reins!"

"What?"

He had no time to question her intentions because she had thrown her reins to him. Morwen did not waste a second and turned herself in her saddle and took out her remaining throwing knives. Aiming for the archers she shot them as precise as possible. She killed only two of the bow-armed orcs. The last of the archers shot without losing much time and hit his target. The arrow pierced her leg and she gritted her teeth to suppress a pained cry.

"Damned!"

Eaoden had no time to check on his friend because of the rough path he had chosen. They had left the forest and were now running through a ravine. Stones were getting loose under the thundering hooves of their horses and only know she saw that Eaoden had led them up a stony hill. Spurring his horse and dragging Enyá behind him, they climbed up as fast as possible. Surely the wargs were a lot better in climbing but they were as exhausted as their pray and weakened due to their hunger.

The yells of the Rohirim to urge their horses forward and the howls of their hungry enemies behind them resounded from the massive stone walls in the huge canyon.

Morwen tried to ignore the pain in her leg and even though she wanted to yank the arrow out of her leg, she knew that it would be stupid. With a lot of strength and gritted teeth she turned herself in her saddle and held on the mane. The fresh blood flowed down the saddle and dripped on the ground. She could hear the beasts growling in anticipation and it made her blood ran cold. Her fingers dug into the horse mane and she closed her eyes with a pained expression. She had wanted to ask Eaoden which plan he had in mind but could not bring herself to say something because of the raging pang in her leg.

Another shot flew past them but it hit nothing than solid stone. They reached a platform and Eaoden dismounted as quickly as possible. Morwen could see that there was a narrow path that led from the small platform back down in the forest. He surely wanted to fight the beasts with the advantage of standing on a higher ground. It was a good plan. Ignoring the pain she wanted to get down from her horse, when he saw her injury.

"Morwen! By the Valar. Stay in the saddle!"

She could hear the concern in his voice but tried to ignore it. He could not face those beasts alone!

"What are you talking about? Do you want to die? You cannot fight them alone!"

Sliding from the horseback she took her axes and tried to take her fighting stance. The arrow hurt like hell and her leg begun to shake, because of the blood loss and the exhaustion. Eaoden opened his mouth to argue with her but although he could see that she was hurting, he knew she was right as he would not be able to fight the enemies alone. Chasing off their horses down the path they prepared themselves for the battle that was about to come. Morwen could hear the growling beasts and their cursing riders coming near. Glancing to her companion that had his spear in both hands, she felt as if they had gone back in time and facing enemies on their journey. But this time he stood not next to her but in front of her. Before she could tell him to stop worrying about her, he shot her a serious glance that shut her up.

"Stay behind me!"

She cursed silently under her breath when the first warg had reached the platform. The orc yelled a command in a language she did not understand but it was rather obvious what it had been about as the other wargs had doubled their speed to reach the battlefield.

_He must have told them that we are fighting instead of fleeing._

The first warg was running towards them but Eaoden did not move and instead waited for the beast to come. The monster opened his huge jaws but before it could reach the Rohirim, he had struck his spear in the mouth of the beast and used the speed of the warg to impale it. The creature gave some gurgling sounds before dying and falling down. His rider had not seen that coming and laid with one leg stuck under the heavy body of his dead mount.

"You take the orcs!"

"With pleasure."

She had recognized the orc as the one who had struck her with the arrow and made quick work with her axes. They had no time to rejoice over their win as the rest of the pack had reached the platform. There were four wargs and two orcs left.

Eaoden got ready to slay the next monster and Morwen came to stand at his side. The beasts smelled her blood and saw that she was ailing.

"Whatever happens, stay close to me."

She gave an exhausted snort but could not suppress the smile that crept on her lips.

"That was my part."

The Rohirim raised an eyebrow invisible for her because of his helmet but she could see the big grin. If this was their end, she had made sure that they would part ways on good terms. It would be an honour to die at his side.

Getting ready they awaited the charging pack. Eaoden pierced another warg with his spear while Morwen had managed to cause one of the remaining beasts a few deep cuts in their face. Howling in pain, the creature ran blindly towards the abyss where it fell with a loud yelp. It had been a good thing that it had swept his rider to his death. But although it looked as if they were able to win, within seconds the tables were turned again.

Morwen was kneeling on the ground because of the raging pain in her leg and only with great difficulties she had been able to fight off the last orc that had dismounted from his beast. Eaoden on the other hand faced the last two wargs. Retreating until his back hit the wall he glanced to Morwen who slashed the orc with her remaining energy. With heavy lidded eyes and ragged breathing she tried to get back on her feet. Sweat was rolling down her face and for a second her world begun to spin. Shaking her head she raised her axes to attack the wargs from behind, when one of the creatures pinned her to the ground. The foul saliva that dripped on her face made her sick and she tried to reach her axes but they laid too far away. The warg growled in satisfaction. Morwen struggled under the heavy creature but the weight was too much for her. Her eyes searched those of her friend in a hurry. Eaoden was fighting off his opponent that drove him back and with that further away from her.

"Morwen!"

She gave him one of her trademark smirks. Surely she would not leave the world without a smile and a last attempt to free herself. Gathering her last energy she freed her arms and stopped the huge head before it reached her throat. She was shaking and the animal begun to struggle to free itself from her hands.

Her resistance would soon fall. She could feel the energy leaving her body. Her face had turned pale and exhaustion was taking over her shaking form. The beast noticed her weakening state and had no problem freeing itself out of her grasp after a few more attempts. Howling he attacked her.

Or at least it had tried. An arrow pierced through its skull and killed it instantly. The dead creature collapsed on top of her and knocked the breath out of her. Struggling to free herself from the heavy body, she was astonished when a hand had gripped her and pulled her from under the dead warg. Her vision was blurred but she could make her companion out. Eaoden knelt next to her and had taken his helmet off to take a look at her wound. It looked severe and because of the weight of the warg, the arrow had sunk deeper into her leg.

"How…?"

Her voice was nothing more than a hoarse whisper. How had he managed to win against those monsters and where did that arrow come from?

Eaoden stood up and whistled as loud as he could. He hoped the horses would hear him. Morwen needed medical treatment. He was breathing heavily and had a few wounds if she was not mistaken in her weakened state. He sat down again and tugged her sweaty strands of hair behind her ear.

"You really are a hell of a woman."

He shook his head with a tired smile. Morwen tried to smile at him but she was in too much pain. Nonetheless she managed to answer him through her gritted teeth.

"And still it was you who saved me."

He shook his head.

"That's not correct."

Morwen wrinkled her forehead in confusion when someone approached them.

"I have to agree and I am sorry for the interruption but I cannot let him gain all the laurels."

The last thing she saw before she lost consciousness was the warm smile of a well-known Dúnedain Ranger.

* * *

_So? What do you think? Well I am sure you know who had helped them. :)_

_Stay tuned for more to come._

_Your FMC :)_


	6. Of teasing and more secrets

_Hey guys._

_I really don't know where all those ideas come from but I will try to finish the story before the holidays end next week. :D My mind keeps overflowing with ideas right now and I will try to use this chance as much as possible.^^_

_I hope you enjoy my little fanfiction. :)_

_Your FMC_

* * *

**Of teasing and more secrets**

The first thing she saw when she woke up was the starry sky. She did not know how long she had been sleeping but the pain of her leg had finally stopped. She had wanted to sit up but her body was still too weak to comply with her wish. So instead she decided to simply take a look around.

Turning her head to her left she could make out a fire that warmed her up. Sparks were flying in the night sky and she followed them with her eyes for a moment. There was a dark cape over her shivering form and when she looked to her right she came face to face with Eaoden.

He was sleeping peacefully next to her. He laid on his arm which he used as a pillow and had draped his cloak over his body to protect him against the cold night wind. Morwen mustered the Rohirim in the dim light of the fire. He looked exhausted but at ease. She could not remember if she had been so close to him like this before. They had not been close friends and even though they had respected each other, there had been no place and time to build a deep friendship or an attraction in the past. Taking a deep breath from his scent she felt herself becoming sleepy again. He smelled of horses, straw and old toby. The mixture was making her eyelids heavy and although it was totally not like her, she slid closer to the sleeping man.

_It's just because of the smell and his warmth…_

Resting her head not too far away from his face, she drifted back to sleep without noticing a certain Ranger approaching the camp with a lot of new firewood. He followed her action with a big grin before shaking his head and sitting beside the fire. Just like the old times.

* * *

The next morning came with sunrays tickling her face. It promised to be a beautiful day but Morwen did not want to open her eyes yet and snuggled closer to the warmth that smelled so familiar. She felt protected and although the ground was everything but comfortable she could not bring herself to get up. Hiding her face in the shadow of the warmth she smiled to herself. If she could take this feeling to Minas Tirith, perhaps she might be able to live there.

What a stupid thought… As if Berethor would take horses in their house just so that she would feel at home. Speaking of the gondorian soldier….How come she had not been thinking about Berethor the whole time? After all she was travelling with the intention to marry him in the end. Why had her thoughts kept spinning around the past 6 years of the Rohirim soldier? It did not make any sense and then there was the secretiveness around the elvish woman. What had been going on?

She would have kept laying there but was instantly awake when she heard a throaty voice next to her ear that sent shivers down her spine.

"I would never have thought you could smile like this."

Opening her eyes wide in surprise she came face to face with a grinning Rohirim who looked rather amused by her reaction. She wanted to skit away as fast as possible but her body protested because of the exhaustion and her weak state. So instead she gave him a cold glare and turned her back to him.

"I see you are getting along pretty well."

She knew that voice! Turning her head she was greeted by a grinning Dúnedain Ranger. So she had not been dreaming after all. He had saved them!

"Elegost!"

Giving him a warm smile she wanted to get up and greet him properly but he motioned for her to stay put.

"I would recommend you to give your body its well needed rest. You have been out for one day but you still need a day to recover from the wound."

He pointed at her leg which was bandaged and felt a little bit stiff.

"Try to move it."

Morwen nodded and tried to do as she was told. She managed to move her leg a little but it still hurt. The Ranger gave her an encouraging smile.

"Eaoden was right. I had forgotten that you are a strong woman."

She shot him a glare.

"I thought you would remember the woman that had killed more orcs than you."

Elegost could only shake his head over the feisty woman in front of him. Looking towards Eaoden who smoked his pipe near the camp fire, he could not help himself but feel the need to tease her a little.

"So… Did you sleep well last night?"

He studied his bow while feigning innocence. From the corner of his eyes he could see how she froze in shock. She tried to regain her composure as fast as possible but it was useless as he had seen her hesitating for a second. This would surely be an amusing game.

"Don't you dare to bring that up ever again or I will hunt you down!"

Giving him a threatening glare, she turned her back on him and crossed her arms in front of her chest, a clear sign that she did not want to discuss that topic further. Although he had been quite surprised by her tone he could not hold back his laugher. Eaoden gave them a questioning look but did not dare to ask what had happened when he saw the growling Morwen. He took a deep breath from his pipe before going to look after the horses. Things could only get better.

* * *

"We had to stop here for you to rest. It will not take long for us to reach the stream and without the nasty followers we will surely make it before night fall."

Elegost nodded in agreement to the words of the Rohirim, while Morwen tried to stand up. Her companions had stopped to prevent her from getting up because she had ignored them. She hated to stay like this. It made her look weak and vulnerable. She leaned on Enyá for support and stroked her mane with a tired smile. They had lost a day because of her injury but she did not want to hold them back any longer. Which reminded her on something…

"Are you accompanying us to Minas Tirith Elegost?"

The Ranger nodded while making his horse ready.

"I run out of medical supplies after treating your injury and Hadhod had wanted to meet in Minas Tirith to visit a tavern or something."

Eaoden gave a snort. The dwarf had not changed much but after thinking it through, his people seemed rather fond of drinking and celebrating. He remembered the celebration after the battle in Helms Deep. Hadhod and Gimli had drunken a lot but had still lost to Legolas. The Rohirim had not known about the high alcohol tolerance of the elves.

_Never agree to a drinking game against elves!_

Mounting their horses after they had finished their last preparations they set off. Elegost rode ahead. Eaoden rode next to Morwen to assure that she was okay even though she shot him an angry glare. It was hurting her pride that they treated her like a feeble woman.

"Do I look like I am going to fall off my horse anytime soon?", she asked in a cold voice.

He stayed silent and seemed to think his answer through before opening his mouth.

"Honestly? Yes, you look pretty bad."

He was right for sure but her ego did not want to agree with the stupid horseman. Giving him one last nasty glare, she spurred her horse to catch up on the Ranger, she had not seen for so long. Eaoden could only shake his head with a tired sigh.

Morwen on the other hand tried to ignore the pang of anger and frustration. Even though the Rohirim was the one who had complimented her the most, he was also the one who bothered her with his stupid worries. She was no child.

"Did I hear trouble in paradise?"

She rolled her eyes at his comment but decided not to take the bait and stay quiet. Elegost sighed before trying another conversation. He had no intentions on hiding his curiosity especially since the whole story was complicated. Did she know?

"So, I heard from Eaoden that you will be marrying Berethor in a few days?"

Morwen did not know how to act. Should she smile over that thought? Should she be nervous? Shouldn't she feel happy about it? She did not know and instead gave only a curd nod.

Elegost mustered the silent woman while raising an eyebrow.

"Wouldn't that be difficult because of the…"

"I think it's enough."

They looked behind them in surprise. Eaoden had a serious expression on his face while urging his horse between the two other mounts. Both men exchanged a few glances before the Ranger set off with the words of "going to explore their way". He left the other two in a deafening silence. He avoided looking in her face and she could see that his hand, which held the reins, had become a fist. It was not enough to distract her from her fury.

Morwen was boiling with anger but tried not to raise her voice too much.

"What was he talking about?"

He did not answer her and proceeded without looking back. Did it have something to do with those last six years? How come even Elegost knew about the whole thing? Why did no one tell her about what was going on? Didn't she also have a right to know?

Spurring her horse she rode past him without giving him another look. And here she had been thinking that they had becoming close….

_What a foolish thought…_

* * *

_I hope you liked it so far and that you are curious about the secrets that are kept from Morwen. I have to admit, I had hated her in the game because she had missed a lot of hits and had brought me a few really heavy battles. It didn't help that she was the woman who ended up with Berethor, but after rewatching the game, I think she had not been all too bad. Well I somehow came up with an idea and I hope you will like the twist in the story :)_

_Your FMC_


	7. Late night talks

_Hello :) _

_Here I am again and with me another chapter of my fanfic. As I said in the previous chapter, I will try to complete this story until next week because of college. _

_I hope you enjoy reading it so far._

_Your FMC_

* * *

**Late night talks**

The last sunrays kissed the mountains before disappearing slowly behind their backs when the small group finally reached the Mering Stream. There had not been any further problems and even though both men had wanted their companion to take it slowly and rest for a while, Morwen had simply ignored and had ridden past them. She had not talked to either of them after their fight and wanted to keep it like that until they reached Minas Tirith. While trying to distract herself from her pain and exhaustion she had come up with a lot of possibilities of what the secret could be about. Perhaps it was all a scheme for the marriage? Something like a surprise?

_What a stupid thought… Who would think of something as dumb as this?_

Or maybe Eaoden was simply playing with her and trying to distract her with inexistent secrets to hide something? Something bigger? Her eyes grew wide with her next thought. Had he married the elvish woman? Could it be that this was the reason he did not want to talk about Idrial? Morwen was surprised when she felt herself getting angry at the thought. She had no right to feel like this… She did NOT feel jealous!

Sliding from her horse she led Enyá to the river so she could drink. Her leg hurt and she had to lean on her mount for support. It would only take one or two days to reach their final destination. Then she would be asking Berethor about the whole secretiveness. He would know what was going on and give her the needed answers. Or so she hoped.

Someone came up next to her and she glanced at the man from the corner of her eyes. It was Eaoden. Both stayed silent while listening to the drinking horses and the rushing of the stream. Morwen did not want to start a conversation. Not after all this stupid hide and seek with the truth. If he wanted to talk to her, an apology would be a good start.

"Elegost is gone to hunt and we are pretty sure to reach the city tomorrow in the evening."

That was it. He took his mount by the reins to return to their camp for the night. She watched him go. Anger kept boiling in her chest and she wanted to throw her axes or whatever she could find at the moment right after him. Instead she leaned on her horse and glared daggers at the river.

_Stupid Rohirim…_

Sitting down on the riverside she took a pebble to throw it in the dark floods. This should have been her last journey in freedom where she should have enjoyed her life as an unmarried woman for the last time. But everything had somehow gotten out of hands or why was she sitting with a nagging feeling of sadness at a river not too far away from her future home?

Looking downcast she hid her face from the world. She would never have imagined for things to turn out like this.

_It hurts…_

She did not know if she was speaking of her leg or her heart.

* * *

The meal had been taken in silence although it was clear that no one appreciated the tense atmosphere. It was Elegost who finally broke the quietness.

"I want to take a look at your wound if you don't mind."

Morwen nodded and gave him a thankful smile. Loosening the bandages around her leg; the Ranger took his remaining medical herbs to disinfect her injury after taking a good look at it. The arrow had not hit a bone and luckily it had not caused an infection and had not been poisoned. If he had not been there with his few healing abilities to heal her right after the battle, she would have never been able to use her leg again.

"It's healing well. You might be able to go and hunt down some orcs after tomorrow."

She wanted to share his cheerfulness but was not able to do so.

"After tomorrow there will be no chance to slay orcs anymore."

Elegost understood what she was talking about and gave her an encouraging smile. It must be hard on her. She was a fighter in her bones after all. Seeing her glancing thoughtfully in the camp fire he looked to Eaoden who smoked his pipe across from them. His gaze was plastered on the silent woman. The Ranger would have shaken his head in frustration because of their stubbornness but it would not change anything. He needed to cheer her up somehow.

"You know, whenever you feel the need to kill some orcs, you can come to the Fangorn Forest and help us getting rid of the scum. Treebeard would surely like to meet the woman who killed more orcs than me."

She would never have killed more than him, he was a lot older than her after all, but they knew it was simply to cheer her up. Her lips curved in a small smile and she gave him a playful shove against his shoulder.

"I will take you up on that offer. Be prepared."

Elegost begun to laugh and even the Rohirim who had stayed silent until now, could not suppress a laugh. Within seconds she felt home again.

* * *

She could not sleep. Adjusting the cloak around her slender form, she gazed at the starry sky. Elegost had wanted to take the first watch but Morwen had made it clear that she would not let him or Eaoden keep guard on her last night of her journey. Both men had growled in frustration but there was no point in arguing with that woman.

Suppressing a yawn she put her chin on her knees while hugging her legs close to her body. Her injured leg hurt because of the movement but she ignored it. Her mind was occupied with a lot of things that had passed during the last few days.

She was surprised on how often she had been thinking about the Rohirim. In their last battle she had even thought that it would be an honour to die at his side. What had she been thinking? Perhaps it had been because of her injury or the fact that they had faced too many enemies? She did not know but was rather glad she had not said those embarrassing words out loud.

Sighing deeply she did not notice the form that came up behind her.

"There is no point in you keeping watch when you are dreaming with your eyes open you know."

The deep voice sent shivers down her spine and she froze in shock. Trying to regain her composure she pulled her cloak tighter around her body. An all too familiar Rohirim sat next to her with his spear in his left hand. He was right again and it infuriated her!

"I was not dreaming, simply thinking about some things."

He laid his spear next to him and looked into the distance.

"Things? What things?"

He expected her to tell him about her secrets? This had to be a joke. After all he was the master of the let's-keep-Morwen-in-the-shadows-game. Did he forget?

"You think I will tell you about my secrets?"

Her voice could have made the chilly air freeze in fear. There was the awful feeling of sadness, disappointment and anger again and she turned her head away from him. He stayed silent for a few moments that felt like an eternity. Why was he staying? She wanted him to leave.

"I am really sorry that I am hiding things from you. I would have told you everything on the first day but I had to promise Berethor not to tell you anything. He wanted to do that himself."

She cocked an eyebrow in surprise. So it had not been his fault? He had only wanted to respect Berethor's wish? Suddenly every nasty feeling from before was replaced by the huge weigh of guilt. She had made him look as if he had done this whole secretiveness out of joy and had not tried to understand him. She should have known that he would not do something like that to hurt her. She felt awful.

"Eaoden? Listen, you don't have to say you are sorry. I have been acting like a stubborn child the past few days and I have to apologize. I should have known you would not do something like this with the intention to hurt someone."

Her voice had faded into a whisper and she had avoided to look at him and instead fixated her eyes on a point far away in the distance. A chuckle next to her made her furrow her brows. What was so funny? As if he had read her mind, he answered her.

"You are right. I have never encountered a woman that was more bull-headed than you. You should feel honoured."

She wanted to glare at him, give him a hit on his head, that was an easy target without his helmet, or insult him for his teasing, but could not bring herself to anything of the sort. Unintentionally her lips curved up in a smile while shaking her head with a snort. He would not change.

Feeling bold she leaned herself on his shoulder which he acknowledged with a raised eyebrow.

"It's only because of your smell."

His body trembled with another deep chuckle and she was glad that the darkness hid her growing smile.

"That's really the first time someone told me something like this."

She did not reply and instead took a deep breath before letting herself fall asleep in the comfortable warmth and that alluring scent. Eaoden could only shake his head over the woman that leaned on him. Draping his cloak around them both he laid an arm around her shoulder to hold her close. If she had stayed awake for a few more seconds she would have felt his lips kissing her forehead affectionate.

* * *

_Aww I had to put some fluff in here. I am Fluffymausi-chan after all :) _

_I hope you like it so far._

_Your FMC :)_


	8. Of realizations and teasing Rangers

_Somehow it becomes a routine of posting 2 chapters in one day. :)_

_Well, personnaly I don't like this one so much but maybe you think diffrently about it. (or so I hope^^)_

_I hope you enjoy it._

_Your FMC_

* * *

**Of realizations and teasing Rangers**

The next morning had come with a few exchanged embarrassed words and gazes between Morwen and Eaoden as well as a hearty laugh from Elegost. No one of the two had wanted to talk about the previous night and why they had ended up sleeping in such a close proximity. The Ranger had teased them while eating their breakfast until Eaoden had left the camp mumbling something about the horses. Morwen had followed him with her eyes lost in thoughts. If Elegost had not asked her about her injury, she would probably have followed the Rohirim. Why? She did not know.

After readying their horses, they extinguished their camp fire and left to cross the stream. It would be a shortcut and made up for the day they had lost because of her injured leg. The horses had no problem to swim mainly because the streaming was not that strong and the swim only lasted a few minutes.

There was one point where Morwen had nearly slid out of her saddle, because of a wave that caught her horse, but a strong hand saved her by pulling her back on the horse back. Eaoden had a small smile on his lips and he looked relieved although it was not extremely dangerous to fall in the water. But with her wounded leg she would still have problems to swim.

Mumbling her thanks she urged Enyá to hurry up and reach the other side closely followed by the Rohirim. He seemed to have used such ways more than one time in the past and the Ranger looked the same. But it did not bother her. She felt happy to have the experience of swimming with her horse. It was her last journey after all. Looking over her shoulder she gave Eaoden a grin which had made him raise his eyebrow in an unspoken question but could not ask her because she turned her back at him once more. Therefore she missed his worried expression and the concern in his dark eyes.

* * *

Her heart grew heavier the more they neared the white city. She looked pale and after convincing her companions that she was okay for what seemed like the thousand time, they reached a small hill from which they could see the huge city far away in the distance. It would only take a few hours to pass the gates of the castle.

"That brings back some memories, doesn't it?"

Elegost had a small smile on his lips and she could understand him. In this city they had celebrated the end of the war and also the wedding of Arwen and Aragorn as well as the wedding of Faramir and Eowyn. It felt as if time had stopped for a few seconds, because suddenly it did not feel like it was so long ago anymore. Perhaps it was because of the memories they had linked with the city. Just by looking at the huge castle in pure white colour, they felt nostalgic.

"We should keep moving."

Eaoden had turned his horse and was riding down the hill followed by the Ranger. Morwen was the last to follow them. She waited till they were out of sight before closing her eyes for a second. She tried to imagine herself living there in this city. There was no warmth in that thought. It felt like a cage and not even its beauty could change the fact that she would never feel at home behind this massive walls. Why was she even going there? To marry a man she had not seen in 6 years and whom she would marry only because it had been the last wish of her parents. Was that really a reason to make such a special bond with a person? Shouldn't there been something like love? She had to admit that she had never loved the gondorian soldier like Idrial. The elvish woman had given up on a lot of things and had risked her life on many occasions to safe him. Why couldn't she take her place? Then she could return to her life in Edoras and maybe even…

"Morwen? What are you waiting for? Come on."

The men had come back to check on her and she nodded while spurring Enyá down the hill. She could think about as long as she wanted. It would not make a difference. She was going to marry him. It had been decided long ago and who was she to oppose something like that? She would take the challenge head on.

_I am not the person who runs from anything… _

But inside she hated herself for her pride. It would close all paths she had known to love.

* * *

It would not take long for them to finally reach the city, but they decided they could rest for a while before facing the last part of their journey. Eaoden was taking care of their horses while the other two had made themselves comfortable. These were the last trees to lean on before they would reach the open plains of the Pelennor Fields.

Morwen had stayed silent after their first glimpse at Minas Tirith and even though she had tried to hide her worried expression she could not deceive the Ranger. Elegost had noticed her change of mood.

"What bothers you?"

He did not look at her and instead searched for his pipe which he found after several moments. She didn't lift her head either and continued to stare at the grassy ground. Her fingers tugged at her hair. Should she tell him? Perhaps she would feel relieved after a talk with him? Sighing deeply she gave in. She needed to tell someone about her inner chaos and right now was a good moment, as she could see that Eaoden was out of earshot.

"I don't want to marry Berethor."

There! It was finally out! She had said it and could feel the weight slowly vanishing, that had been laying on her shoulders the whole time. It felt relieving.

Elegost did not seem surprised in the least and instead had a small grin on his lips.

"It took you really long."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Well, for me it was rather obvious that you have already other plans in mind."

"Oh stop it with the stupid teasing already.", she growled angrily mainly because she was embarrassed. Had it been so obvious?

"Don't worry. I think he did not suspect anything."

"I don't know what you are talking about."

He gave a soft laugh before taking another deep breath from his slender pipe. She would kill him if he dared to force her to say his name and he did not want to be strangled in his sleep only because he enjoyed teasing the shield maiden.

"Anyways… what about marrying Berethor? What will you do?"

She closed her eyes with another sigh while leaning against the tree behind her.

"I don't know. It was the last wish of my parents after all and I think Berethor might still be in love with me. I don't want to hurt him."

Elegost nodded thoughtfully and for a few second there were no other sounds than the snorting horses in a distance and the singing of the few birds in the trees. The Ranger was the one who broke the peaceful silence again.

"I think your problem will be solved once we are in Minas Tirith."

He sounded sure of himself. Morwen opened her eyes to give him a doubtfully look but somehow that encouraging smile on his lips had convinced her. Perhaps he was right? She was still not married and maybe…only maybe there was a chance for her to get out of this mess?

She wanted to ask him why he was so sure but was interrupted by the return of their friend. He had taken his helmet off and for a second she was sure that he had exchanged another meaningful look with the Ranger which he acknowledged with a shrug and a big grin. Had it something to do with those goddamn secrets again?

She had opened her mouth with the intention to ask them directly about their behaviour but in the last moment she decided against it. She would receive her answers in a few hours and right now she would enjoy this moment.

Closing her eyes she did not see the warm smile directed at her.

* * *

_So what do you think so far? The next chapter will be a lot more interesting than this one but I had to give Morwen's character more depth. _

_I hope you enjoyed it._

_Your FMC :)_


	9. The place where you really want to be

_Hey guys :)_

_This chapter might made up for nit being able to write two in one day. I think I might also not be able to finish it until next week as I have still a lot of work to do for chollege :/_

_But anyway, I hope you enjoy it. (It's my favourite one^^)_

_Your FMC_

* * *

**The place where you really want to be**

The forest slowly disappeared and made room for the giant plains of the Pelennor Fields. The sight was breath-taking. The huge white city shone brilliant in the late afternoon sun and seemed as if it had never been attacked before. Her eyes took the scenery in for a second. These plains were calling for a ride. Glancing to her two companions she spurred her horse with a big grin. As if Enyá had only waited for the command she dashed to their destination leaving the men behind.

"As if!"

Urging his horse the Ranger followed Morwen with a loud "Yeeha". Eaoden could only shake his head with a sigh. It felt as if he was watching children playing around.

"The last one has to buy the drinks!", Morwen yelled over her shoulder. This got his attention and he soon followed. She had a big grin on her face and seemed pretty sure of herself. Well maybe she had been hasty as a dark horse suddenly ran past them in a rapid gallop. Eaoden gave her a small smile before spurring his horse again.

She was no match for a trained Rohirim and his mount but as always she had no intention to back down from a challenge. Following him close behind she had soon forgotten about the Ranger that had fallen back with a wide grin and concentrated only on the man before her. Her horse was glad for the even ground and the chance to give it her all. The thundering hooves sounded like music. The wind was biting her face and tugging at her loose ponytails and her coat. But it did not matter. She felt incredible to ride like this. It gave her the feeling of freedom she liked so much. Fixating her gaze on the man in front of her, she had a wicked idea. Although the speed was really dangerous she wanted to try it out.

Spurring her horse for the last time she caught up to the Rohirim and with a lot of luck she got hold on his helmet because of the fake blond hair on top of it. With a pull she had his helmet in her hands and gave him a triumphant grin. He had been surprised by her action but instead of scolding her with a serious expression, he did something totally unlikely for him. He laughed. Not a small laugh or a chuckle but a loud hearty laugh.

Morwen watched his amused expression and even though the wind was biting her cheeks, she felt warm and at ease. The smile did not leave her lips till they reached the huge gate.

* * *

After a few exchanged words with the guards the gates were opened to let the three riders inside. It surprised Morwen how alert the guards still were even after the end of the war. Perhaps it was because of the fact, that it was still dangerous as she had seen the past days. Habits die hard after all. Nodding her head to a few soldiers she rode past them. Her companions were being mustered as strangely as her. They must look totally out of place, mainly because of how different the three were. A Dúndedain Ranger, a Rohirim and a shield maiden. What a strange combination.

Enyá snorted nervously because of the narrow passages and Morwen had trouble calming her down as a few villagers had somehow gathered to take a look at them. What was going on? Did they really look so foreign to them? When another man squeezed past her horse, she growled angrily and would have snapped if Eaoden had not ridden in front of her.

"Please let us pass. We are in a hurry."

The villagers reluctantly complied with his wish and made room for the strangers. Spurring their horses they left the first ring of the city through a smaller gate that led to the second ring. Originally, Morwen had wanted to take a closer look at the city mainly because she had never had the chance to do so the last time they had been here. Her eyes gazed shortly over the huge walls and the ornaments on the white stone. The whole city seemed to glow in pure light. Soon this would change as the sun was setting.

"Berethor is staying on the sixth ring of the Mundburg.", Eaoden told his companions over his shoulder.

"Mundburg?"

It was the first time she had heard someone calling the White City like this. The Rohirim turned to her and the Ranger, who looked equally curious.

"The Rohirims call Minas Tirith the Mundburg. I am surprised you did not know about the fact Morwen, as you were staying in Edoras for so long."

_I am surprised too._

She would not have voiced her thoughts and instead gave a shrug to answer his question. Elegost had a smile on his lips while looking up to the houses hewed in white stone. It was truly an impressive construction.

As the sun slowly vanished behind the mountains, the city began glowing in all kind of red colours. Lanterns were lit in the alleys and Morwen could see the Gondorians either going home to sleep after working the whole day while others searched for a tavern to distract themselves before returning home. That reminded her of something.

"Elegost. Didn't you say that Hadhow would wait in a tavern for you?"

The Ranger nodded, a big grin forming on his lips. He knew very well what she had in mind and he would not lie. A beer would be great.

"Well I lost the race after all. I think it's somewhere on this ring."

Eaoden had stopped his horse and turned to them.

"Morwen we should see Berethor first. You can drink later. Also you are still not fully healed and should rest."

His seriousness was getting on her nerves. He was right. Like always. But couldn't he see that she did not want to meet the gondorian soldier right now? She wanted to do the same as all the men that had crossed her path in search of a place to drink. She wanted to forget for a second. She wanted to end this journey with a celebration, with an evening she would not forget and with the people that were important to her, whom she could call her friends.

"Do whatever you want. I will search for Hadhod."

Riding past him she began looking for tavern signs. Elegost sighed before giving the Rohirim a serious look.

"You should let her be this time and instead of ordering her around, give her what she needs the most. She needs you as support, but I think you know this already."

Running his horse he tried to catch up on the cursing woman. Eaoden stayed motionless for a second before following his companions with a sigh. This would not end well. He knew it, but who was he to oppose this stubborn woman?

* * *

After searching in three taverns, they came upon a small tavern which was almost shaking because of laughter and encouraging yells. The friends exchanged a look before dismounting and binding their mounds under a makeshift construction that looked not very trustworthy but they decided that it would do the trick.

Opening the doors they were welcomed by the heavy air of smoke, sweat and beer. It was difficult to breath in this thick smell but she did not mind it, as she made out a familiar figure in a corner of the small building. There was no doubt.

She pushed herself through a few groups of celebrating men and could have sworn that there had more than once been a hand on her body which did not belong there. Well, it was not a first for her and she ignored it as she finally reached the person they had been searching the whole time. Sitting next to him, she gave him a big grin.

"So… would you like a drinking match mister dwarf?"

The man in question looked up from his mug and his eyes widened in surprise.

"By Durin's beard! What are you doing here?"

"You know, the usual. Drinking, searching for dwarfs and saving the world. What about you?"

Hadhod laughed whole-heartily.

"I see you are still as feisty as ever shield maiden."

"I learned from the best."

Before he could say something, a voice interrupted them.

"And here I thought I was your only idol."

Elegost and Eaoden had finally reached the two with four mugs of beer in their hands. Giving the Ranger an innocent look, she accepted the mug from Eaoden, although he looked reluctant to give it to her. He was still worrying.

Hadhod looked pleasantly surprised by the arrival of his long friend and his old companions.

"It's good that you have shown up here. I think one more day with those wimpy men here who cannot hold their liquor and I would have gone berserk."

Morwen looked around and had to agree with the dwarf. Most of the men seemed not too fond of strangers and looked wasted after a few mugs of the dark liquor. This must have been rather boring for the dwarf who liked company and drinking matchs.

"Let's forget about those men and postpone the talks about the past. I think I will try to see who can call himself a drinker at this table. By the way, Elegost declared himself ready to pay for everything tonight."

The Ranger shot her a look but she only laughed while raising her mug.

"Cheers."

The men exchanged a look before raising their respective jugs with a deep cheer.

* * *

She did not know what time it was and how many beers she had downed. It had been no surprise that she had been the first to lose the drinking match. Although she could not drink as much as the others it was still impressive for she was a woman against three men.

Eaoden had been the next to give up as he had trouble staying straight on his stool without falling off. The further drinking match had been lost in a blur of laugher, singing and the heavy air of alcohol. Nonetheless she had a joyful smile on her lips as she tried to stand up to stumble to the door. She needed fresh air to clear her head. A man, as drunk as her, had gripped her arm to pull her back to him, but she had hit him square in the stomach with an innocent look before continuing her walk. Even though she was drunk she was no easy target for sexual harassment. After a few falls and stops, she finally reached the door and was greeted by the cold night air. Taking a deep breath she leant on the wall to glance up to the stars and the upper rings that were also lit by a few colourful lanterns. Even in her drunken state she could not forget about the meeting that was inevitable. What should she do? Elegost had said she would perhaps find a way to get out of this mess, but she still had not been able to come up with a solution.

"Damn…"

The door opened next to her and she was surprised to see Eaoden in the doorframe. He looked tired and had trouble to stay straight. Somehow he managed to close the door and lean on the wall next to her. His heavy armour made a lot of noise and she asked herself where his spear and his shield as well as his helmet had gone during the night.

"I thought you would have passed out next to the horses."

She snorted at his lame joke but smiled nonetheless. Glancing up to his face that was looking up to the stars, she was again lost in thoughts. She opened her mouth to ask him something, anything just to break the silence that had fallen on them. But what should she say? "Hey I think I have fallen in love with you. Should we elope?" It sounded so stupid. There was no way she could run away from her destiny, even if it meant living here.

"Are you nervous to face him?"

His voice was a deep rumble and she felt warm shivers rolling down her spine. She really liked his voice but right after hearing his question, the joy was soon replaced by disappointment. Why did he want to talk about Berethor? She did not want to discuss this subject right now and instead enjoy his company as long as possible. Should she tell him this? Shaking her head over her stupid thoughts she stretched her arms with a yawn. A clear sign that she wanted to end this talk and turn in.

But the Rohirim had other intentions and gripped her arm to stop her from fleeing inside the tavern again. They had to talk about this even if she did not want to.

"Tell me. Is this wedding what you really want?"

Was he stupid? Every fiber of her body hated the whole marriage-idea. Was he blind or was he playing with her? She broke away from his grip and glared angrily at the man. The lack of light made him look even bigger and gave him a dangerous aura. But she was not afraid, only angry. Furious might be an even better term. This time she decided to voice her thoughts.

"Are you blind or stupid? Do I look happy to you? Tell me! There were only a few moments during the past days where I have been happy and that surely weren't the battle with the orcs and my injury!"

The alcohol had made her bolder and she stood now right in front of him, glaring up in his dark eyes with anger and frustration while pointing a finger at his chest. She was sick and tired of talking around this.

"I really hate this side of you, you thick-skulled, stupid and arrogant Roh…"

She could not finish her rant as the insulted man had bent down to kiss her. Her eyes widened in surprise and her first intention was to push him away from her but after realizing what was happening, she took her chance. Murmuring his name against his lips she kissed him. Again and again. He pulled her in his arms and even though he was slightly swaying because of his many drinks, he did not fall.

They did not care if they were being seen. Nothing counted apart from them. It might only be because of the alcohol, they surely were drunk as hell, but those feelings did not come from the beer or the other drinks. Eaoden broke their next bruising kiss to look her straight in the eyes. Leaning his front against hers he did not broke the eye contact while smiling fondly down at her.

No words were spoken as they smiled at each other before kissing again. Tomorrow would bring a huge hangover and a lot of problems but right now she was finally where she wanted to be the most. In his arms.

"Eaoden…"

And his name was answered by another loving kiss. Tomorrow was still far away…

* * *

_Finally they kissed :) I hope you liked it and please stay tuned for the next chapter. I might only write 2 others._

_Anyway thanks for reading._

_Your FMC_


	10. Of headaches and heartaches

_Hello there and welcome to my second last chapter. There will only be one more. :)_

_I hope you enjoy it!_

_Your FMC_

* * *

**Of headaches and heartaches**

The first thing she saw the next day was bright light and she instantly closed her eyes with a groan. Why was it so damn bright? Couldn't the sun be considerate? Her head was aching and she tried to hide her face under the heavy blanket.

"You were asking me if I am afraid of the dark and here you sit hiding from the sunlight.", an amused voice sounded next to her right ear. Opening one eye she looked at the smiling face of Eaoden. He didn't look tired or like he was having a hangover but looks can be deceiving. Perhaps he was just good in hiding that stuff.

"Why are you up so early in the morning?", the shield maiden grumbled while diving back under the covers. But she was soon swept in two strong arms and pulled to a warm body.

"Well firstly it's not morning anymore; I think afternoon would fit better. Secondly, I was up to tell our dear friends that we would skip breakfast as you were still in bed and thirdly…"

He stopped in his speech to give her a fond smile.

"I have to admit that I like to wake up by your side.", he whispered and gave her a sweet kiss on her forehead. Her headache was slowly disappearing as she closed her eyes with a content smile. Although she knew that this would surely be the first and the last time, she wanted to cherish that feeling a little bit longer. Berethor could wait and the others too… THE OTHERS!

"What did you say to those two?"

He was no idiot and knew right away whom she was talking about. Giving her a soothing look he caressed her head.

"Don't worry. I said you were staying in a different room and they should not dare to wake you in your sleep if they want to live. Does that sound good to you?"

She mustered his smiling face in the sunlight and even though her head was still hammering, she did not care and leant closer to him. How could she not fall for him? They were making a good team and although she could not remember everything from the night before, she felt warm and at ease while laying in his arms. This was where she belonged, if only for the last hours.

"It sounds perfect."

And her lips crashed on his in a passionate kiss.

* * *

"So, did you sleep well last night?"

Elegost had an innocent look on his face but everyone knew he was again trying to get on her nerves. Hadhod did not bother to say he should shut up as he was currently fighting his hangover. Normally Morwen would have taken the bait and threatened him with numerous ways to kill him slowly and painfully, but right now, she was content and nothing could dull her mood. Riding alongside Eaoden she decided to ignore the Ranger and concentrate on her last few minutes with the Rohirim. He seemed dead serious but she could see a small flicker of pain in his eyes as they finally reached the sixth Ring and the residence of Berethor. It was a huge white building and had a few beautiful constructions that seemed new. They must have been built after the war.

A young man, maybe just around eighteen years old came up to them to take the horses to the stable. Eaoden looked reluctant to let go of his mount because he always wanted to see the stables for himself. It was easy to steal a horse or worse. But the boy did not seem harmful and looked highly impressed by the appearance of the small group. Another man, an older one, was the next to approach them. He wore the typical gondorian armour without a helmet which he had under his arm. He bowed deeply in front of them. They did the same when he broke the silence.

"Welcome to the Captain's residence. I believe you are Lady Morwen? The Captain is awaiting all of you in the conference room. Please follow me."

The small group nodded without saying a word and followed after the soldier. Morwen was slightly irritated by the formal salutation and her hammering head. Her eyes wandered to the Rohirim next to her. Eaoden held his spear in his left hand and somehow he had sensed that she was looking at him and he gave her a small smile. Morwen felt her heart jump in joy and her cheeks were heating up. Turning her face away to hide her embarrassment she tried to distract herself with the ornaments and the archways, all hewed in the white stone. Everything glowed pure and cold. Although it was truly beautiful with the few little wells and the flowers, Morwen missed the dirt under her feet. Now there was only white stone where her footsteps resounded awfully loud in the huge building complex.

Elegost and Hadhod as well as Eaoden did not look impressed. They knew the place and did not look around in awe as her. Suddenly she felt stupid for her behaviour.

They were finally in what seemed to be the conference room, the soldier had mentioned before. It was huge and as everything else, all in white. It looked cold to her. Looking around she did not find Berethor. The soldier seemed as confused as them and hurried up with an answer when he saw Morwen growling angrily. Her head was still aching and she wanted to sleep. Playing hide and seek was not on her to-do-list today. The soldier bowed deeply in front of them.

"I am sorry. I will look for the Captain. Please have a seat."

He gestured towards the empty seats at the massive table but the friends only shook their head. Whatever it was that they wanted to discuss, it would either be very short or they would reschedule their talk in a tavern or something. This place did not fit the friends.

The soldier had long gone when she felt a tap on her shoulder. Eaoden was standing behind her, a finger at his lips. She stayed silent with a short look over her shoulder. Elegost and Hadhod had found a few drinks on the table and were debating what it could be. The thought of alcohol made her stomach flip but she remained quiet as she followed the Rohirim behind a pillar that would hide them. Raising a brow in confusion she wanted to ask him what was going on. Berethor could appear any time soon. She opened her mouth to say something when he kissed her. Morwen was more than surprised by his behaviour and wanted to pull away from his grasp, but either she was too weak because of her headache and lack of sleep or she simply did not want to break free. They stood like this for a while until they heard footsteps in the distance.

Breathing heavily she lent on him and looked him deeply in his eyes. Motioning him to bent down to her, he complied without a second thought and was rewarded when he felt her lips on his forehead, like he had done it before.

"Thank you for everything, Eaoden."

Her voice was a husky whisper after the bruising kiss a few seconds ago. Eaoden smiled at her until he heard the footsteps coming closer.

He wanted to say something. It seemed urgent and important. Did he want to tell her about the secrets?

Either way, they had to leave their hiding place to get back to Elegost and Hadhod who exchanged a big grin but didn't say anything about it. Morwen felt the Rohirim take her hand behind her and squeezed it. Whatever he wanted to tell her, there was still time. She would not marry the gondorian soldier so soon and she had finally made up her mind that she would not marry Berethor. Even though it had been the last wish of her parents, she could not bring herself to marry someone just because it had been arranged long ago.

Yes, this was the right choice.

Two doors opened at the same time to let a tiny girl and the gondorian soldier in. The solider looked exhausted as if he had crossed Middle Earth in the last ten minutes while the little girl was not tired in the least. She was smiling brightly and her blond hair was swaying from side to side as she twirled around. She really was a cute little thing. Morwen had a smile on her lips when the girl turned to them. There was no mistake. She was elvish. The shield maiden did not think twice on who the mother could be. It was instantly clear that this was Idrial's daughter.

Morwen opened her mouth to ask her companions if they knew her when the girl beamed at them.

"Father!", she squeaked and ran towards Morwen and Eaoden. The woman froze in shock and as if she had burnt herself, let go of the hand of the Rohirim. The little girl hurried past her and Morwen did not dare to look behind her. She could have sworn that she had heard glass breaking but it could also have been her heart that had shattered in million pieces.

She had been right after all. Why…?

* * *

_So what do you think? I hope you stay tuned for the last chapter to come. :)_

_Your FMC_


	11. The truth

_Hello and welcome to my last chapter of my fanfiction :)_

_I hope you are curious about how this whole story ends. I thank all of those who read my story and I would like to know if you liked it. :) _

_I hope you enjoy the last chapter._

_Your FMC_

* * *

**The truth**

If she had to describe her current state, she would not be able to find the right words. Too many emotions rushed through her in a blink of an eye. Anger, disappointment and sadness were one of the feelings she had to describe and she could feel tears welling up in her eyes when she heard the little girl jumping in the arms of a man clad in armour. It hurt. More than her wound or her pride…

She had still not dared to look behind her and after hearing the high-pitched voice of the girl squealing "Daddy" for the eighth time in a row she had enough. Not bothering to excuse herself she went straight for the door. Behind her she could hear her friends calling her name in confusion but she didn't want to stop and see this whole scenery. How stupid had she been for thinking he loved her? He had only needed someone for that night and everything had been nothing more than a lie. It hurt.

The door in front of her was opened and Morwen came face to face with the woman she had not seen for 6 years.

"Idrial…"

The elfish woman had not changed much but she didn't wear her armour and instead wore a light white dress with a few blue flowers embroidered on the long sleeves. She looked beyond beautiful; Morwen had to admit to herself. Suddenly she felt underdressed with her dirty clothes and armour. Her hair was a mess and she was sure that the quick wash in the morning…. well afternoon had not been enough to wash away the traces of a long journey with a few fights. It was not in her personality to feel self-conscious but she had to admit that she was no match for the beautiful elf in front of her. Idrial had even decided to stay here and had not left Middle Earth for the Undying Lands in order to stay with the man she loved. Morwen could never bring such a sacrifice. The elf was beyond words.

Morwen could only stare at the elf without uttering another word. First she had wanted to scream at her for stealing the Rohirim right after she hadn't been able to win Berethor's heart, but right now she was just standing there motionless. Such an assumption was childish and foolish. Idrial seemed not surprised by Morwen's arrival; after all, the soldier had told them that he had informed Berethor. Was she staying here? What was her daughter doing here? So many questions ran through her head.

She had wanted to pass Idrial when the blond woman closed the door and fixated her with knowing eyes. What was this? Some sort of sick game? Then she did something that confused the shield maiden even more. Idrial smiled. There was no malice in her eyes just pure joy and contentment. Raising an eyebrow, Morwen opened her mouth to tell her to get out of her way. She did not want to see the happy family reunion. Her head was hurting like hell and she felt her eyes begin to water. But Idrial beat her to it.

"Welcome Morwen. How was your journey?"

Why was she so overly friendly? Morwen could still not find evidence if the elf was just playing with her or if she meant every single word. So she decided to play along.

"The journey was almost peaceful. A few orcs and wargs but well, we have seen worse."

Idrial nodded while mustering her with a concerned look. What was going on?

"Could it be that you injured your leg?"

The elf was a healer and Morwen knew it was futile to hide the injury from her. There was no point in saving her pride now. Not after being so stupid as to give the Rohirim her heart…

"It was an arrow but Elegost has treated my wound already."

Crossing her arms in front of her chest she tried to show her that she had no problems staying on her injured leg. It throbbed and she had to grit her teeth. Stupid pride…

Idrial was not fooled by her stupid attempt but decided not to say anything about it. She knew very well that Morwen was a proud woman and hated to show weaknesses more than anything else. A tense silence fell upon them and suddenly there were footsteps approaching them. Also there was the noise of a spear clacking on the white floor signalling that Eaoden was on his way to the two women.

Idrial made no move to step away from the door and so Morwen was trapped. Counting to ten she closed her eyes with an angry snarl. Just as she was ready to turn around and curse him with all she got, there were featherlike footsteps coming near too and seconds later the blond girl was hugging Idrials leg with a brilliant smile.

"Mother. Elegost is here again and the little man too."

She tugged at her mother's sleeve while pointing to her companions who Morwen heard talking in low voices in a distance. Idrial smiled down at her daughter.

"I saw that my dear but I wanted you to meet an old friend of mine. This is Morwen. She is a really good fighter and helped you and your father on our journey."

The girl looked at the shield maiden in awe, her mouth agape and eyes shining with amazement. Morwen felt uneasy as the child kept staring at her in pure wonder. She was not used to something like this. Even less from the child of the stupid Rohirim… Her eyes darkened with that thought and she had wanted to push herself past the elves when a solid hand landed on her shoulder, holding her in place.

"Can you please explain to me why you ran away?"

Eaoden's voice was serious but she could hear his slight irritation in it. What gave him the right to be angry at her? She was the one to be angry, no furious! With one swift movement she turned herself around and came face to face with not only the Rohirim but also a face she had not seen in years. Her heart sunk when she recognized Berethor standing in front of her with a small smile on his lips. He did not look so different, only a little bit older and he had grown a beard. His eyes sparkled with contentment as he greeted her with a slight bow.

"Welcome Morwen."

She could not say anything anymore and just stared at the gondorian soldier. It was the third time she was speechless in just one day! What was going on? Where had he come from? She had only seen Idrial, her daughter and the soldier coming in through this door. Just as she was about to ask him her question, the little girl rushed past her to jump in the arms of Berethor.

"Daddy!"

Morwen was speechless.

* * *

"Stop it, you sorry excuse for a Ranger!"

Morwen growled at the laughing Ranger in question. But he was not the only one laughing with all his heart. No that would not be humiliating enough… Hadhod was not holding back his roaring laughter either while Eaoden and Berethor were trying to be considerate and just chuckled while avoiding her eyes. Idrial was the only one who did not laugh but she had a teasing smile on her lips, something Morwen had not seen her doing on her last journey. There had never been a moment to smile or fooling around during the war after all. The elf was balancing her daughter on her lap who looked curious because of the hard laughter.

"Yeah, yeah I get it. This is really funny. Ha Ha!"

Morwen crossed her arms in front of her chest and looked away. Her pride had taken a huge blow when she had told them what she had been thinking during her whole journey. No one could control the laugher after she had ended with her explanation. It was beyond funny. Why they were all laughing? It was rather easy. The letter sent from Berethor had not been to get married but to **invite** her to his own wedding with Idrial.

Although she was angry because everyone had played along with her stupid thought, she felt relieved by the news. She mustered Eaoden for the split of a second before looking away. Her heart drummed with joy and even though she felt guilty for reacting over a few minutes ago, she couldn't help but smile.

Still, it did not change the fact that they had kept her in the dark, especially Eaoden and Elegost.

"So, why did you two of you thought it would be funny to let me believe such a dumb idea?"

There was a dangerous tone underlining her words and Elegost tried to stop laughing while Eaoden gave her a serious look. But before either of them could explain themselves, Berethor decided to cut in.

"I think this was my entire fault…"

"Our fault."

Idrial interrupted the gondorian soldier and he continued without trying to argue with the elf.

"You see, after the war, after all the celebrations, Idrial and I had become closer and well one thing led to another and after a few months we were gifted by this little princess."

He looked at his daughter with a warm smile and Idrial kissed her forehead with the same loving expression. Berethor continued with his explanation.

"But we were not married and because of our status it would make our daughter's life harder if the gondorian people thought of her as a bastard or something. So we decided to live separately until we were married. Idrial stayed in Lothlorien for some time while I continued living here in Minas Tirith. Eaoden had heard of our decision and had suggested to accompany Idrial and my daughter here whenever they felt like it, so that it looked like she was his child. It was a foolish thought and I am sorry to have involved you, Morwen."

Berethor bowed his head and Idrial did the same. Morwen had listened with a thoughtful expression until she nodded with a sigh. She could somehow understand the two with their dilemma and although she was still a bit angry she could not help but forgive them. They had it already hard enough without her wrath.

Turning her head to Eaoden and Elegost and her mood shifted from forgiving to irritate again.

"This does not explain why you kept me in the dark!"

Eaoden heaved a sigh and this time it was Elegost who answered her question.

"It was not to hurt you, you have to believe us. There are authorities here in Minas Tirith that, even though Lady Arwen and King Aragorn are married, are not too fond of elves marrying humans. We thought it would be a good idea to play along with your idea and convince them that you were the one marrying Berethor while he was searching for a way to marry Idrial officially. If you would have stayed with us instead of running off, you would have heard that Berethor had received word from Aragorn himself that he would marry them. There is no need for you to do something like marrying him after all. I apologize for not telling you sooner."

Morwen could not believe what they had done, even after she had told Elegost about her inner turmoil the day before, he had not told her about their plans. But the one she was the angriest with was Eaoden. Her gaze shifted from the Ranger to the Rohirim who met her eyes with remorse. He felt guilty and he had to be. He had acted like an idiot, although it was all for the sake of their friends, they could have told her sooner about their plan instead of playing with her feelings.

The silence was deafening until there was a grunt of pain coming from Hadhod. All eyes wandered to him. The little girl had her hands on his beard and tugged at it with wide eyes before looking at her mother. Idrial had not paid attention to her daughter only for a second.

"Mother, this beard is real!"

Laughter filled the room and even Morwen had to grin over the kid's cuteness.

* * *

A couple of beers lather, Morwen found herself under the stars on the last ring of Minas Tirith, not too far away from the new white tree. The city shone brightly again and although she had a few beers too much, she could still make out everything clearly.

After their discussion, the friends had decided to spend their reunion in a tavern to talk about the past few years. Without the little Lostariel of course. The little girl had been a pleasure to meet and Morwen had to say that she liked the young lady.

Things had turned out in a good way, just as Elegost had told her and now she understood why he had said that. Shaking her head, she tried to clear her head before thinking about this whole matter again. It would just make her angry again.

In a few days the wedding would take place and after that she could return to Edoras and to her beloved life. The only thing that dulled her mood was the fact that she felt slightly betrayed by the Rohirim. A voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Are you alright?"

Looking up she met the dark eyes of said man. He seemed as if he was debating with himself if he should approach her. She still felt a little bit irritated but gestured for him to come next to her with a deep sigh. There was no point in fighting now.

They stood like this for a while, both enjoying the silence that did not feel tense but relaxing after all the secrets were finally revealed. Eaoden lent on the wall to gaze down on the city and into the night. The wind had picked up and Morwen moved closer to Eaoden to be protected from the night wind. He smiled amused by her action but did not say anything. Instead he took his coat and draped it around both of them, while hugging her to his side. She did not complain and simply lent on his body. They stood like this for a long while, listening to the wind and the laughter coming from the taverns in a far distance.

"So this was where you have been during all those years…"

Her voice was nothing more than a whisper and he leant his chin on top of her head with a sigh.

"I felt indebted after he had proved me wrong in Osgiliath. I had dragged his name through the dirt before we had gotten to know each other on our journey and with their dilemma; I finally had the chance to make it up to him. I had wanted to come back to Edoras and had thought often about returning, not only because of my home."

She looked up to him with a grin and a playful shove on his shoulder.

"Now don't go all corny on me."

He chuckled before taking her in his arms. His voice was a deep rumble and she felt a warm shower running down her spine.

"I wouldn't dare. I have seen you have new throwing knives on you."

She laughed before pulling his head down for a kiss. This was where she belonged. In his arms and it felt right.

**The End**

* * *

_I thank you for giving my story a try and I hope you liked it. I enjoyed writing it and I am happy that I have finished it before moving on with my college work and my other stories._

_Your FMC :)_


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